The Fortress of Fortezza dominates the hill in Palaikastro, next to the old town of Rethymno and is one of the biggest fortresses of the Venetians. On this hill was built the citadel of ancient Rithimna and the Temple of Artemis Rokkaias, which have not survived.The majestic pentagonal fortress was built in 1573 and has a circumference of 1300 meters. Along the walls there are four bastions (St. Luke, St. Elias, St. Paul, St. Nicholas), who served the defense to the enemy.The fort is so big that could be a refuge for the whole city.

The Minoan Palace at Knossos is over 20,000 square meters and the largest of all Minoan palatial structures. It was built of ashlar blocks, had many floors and was decorated with really beautiful frescoes. The old palace was built around 2,000 BC but was destroyed by an earthquake in 1700 BC. The newer, more complex palace, was built almost immediately after the first one was destroyed. In the middle of the 15th Century BC, the Achaeans took over the island of Crete and settled in the palace.

The hill of Phaistos was inhabited as early as the Final Neolithic period (4500 - 3200 BC), when an extensive Neolithic settlement was established, succeeded by a settlement of the Prepalatial period (3200 - 4900 BC). These early settlements were followed by the foundation of the First Palace of Phaistos (1900- 1700 BC), which was built on the NE part of the hill in order to control the whole of the fertile plain of the Messara.Around this palace arose, in the Minoan period, the extensive city of Phaistos, which continued to flourish until Hellenistic times (323-67 BC).The First Palace was built around 1900 BC.